Second-round mock draft: Where do Manti Te'o and the quarterbacks go?

Apr. 26, 2013
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QB Geno Smith passed for 42 TDs and just six INTs for West Virginia in 2012. / Rob Christy, USA TODAY Sports

by Nate Davis, USA TODAY Sports

by Nate Davis, USA TODAY Sports

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Round 1 of the 2013 NFL draft is now etched in stone. But USA TODAY Sports will break out the chisel again to carve out a Round 2 mock draft before the event resumes Friday night.

33. Jacksonville Jaguars - QB Ryan Nassib, Syracuse: It seems pretty clear that an arm is on the way to compete with Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne in Jacksonville. We'll know pretty quickly tonight if the Jags' rumored interest in Nassib is legit.

34. San Francisco 49ers (from Kansas City Chiefs) - TE Zach Ertz, Stanford: The Niners need to replace Delanie Walker in the double-tight sets they favor. Why not get a guy who's already been recruited by Jim Harbaugh once?

35. Philadelphia Eagles - QB Geno Smith, West Virginia: It may be 31 spots later than he wanted to hear his named called by the Eagles, but this looks like a good destination for Smith. Physically, he seems to have the goods to execute this offense at a high level, but he'll get the time to learn it without being pressured to play immediately.

36. Detroit Lions - OT Menelik Watson, Florida State: They opted for African native Ziggy Ansah in Round 1 and take Brit Watson now as Motown goes international. Watson and 2012 first rounder Riley Reiff would be the guys charged with protecting QB Matthew Stafford in 2013 ... and maybe all the way to 2023.

38. Arizona Cardinals - QB Matt Barkley, USC: A teammate of Matt Leinart's in 2012 with the Raiders, Carson Palmer gets backed up by another fellow Trojan in 2013. Don't worry, Cardinals fans, Barkley seems far more serious about his craft than Leinart was in his desert days. And learning from Bruce Arians and Palmer while playing in a dome is the model way for Barkley to grow into the guy who can take the reins in a year or two.

39. New York Jets - RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama: If Rex Ryan wants this team to more closely resemble his ground-bound squads of 2009 and 2010, he'll need a jackhammer like Lacy to wear out opposing defenses. QB Mark Sanchez should be appreciative of the much-needed help, though he still needs a tight end and some blocking.

40. Tennessee Titans - CB Jamar Taylor, Boise State: The worst defense in franchise history obviously needs reinforcements. Taylor would step right in as the Titans' nickelback and might even push Alterraun Verner for a starting role.

41. Buffalo Bills - WR Justin Hunter, Tennessee: In the long run, a blazer who would allow the Bills to take advantage of new QB E.J. Manuel's big arm. In the near-term, Hunter could simply create operating room for WR Stevie Johnson and RB C.J. Spiller.

42. Raiders (from Miami Dolphins) - DE Damontre Moore, Texas A&M: Oakland would need more pass rush even if it hadn't stripped its D-line this offseason. Moore hasn't had a great offseasn, but he did rack up 12½ sacks against first-rate competition in 2012.

43. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DT Kawann Short, Purdue: As bad as they were defending the pass, the Bucs owned the league's top run defense in 2012. However they lost two starters from the D-line to free agency, including DT Roy Miller. Enter Short.

44. Carolina Panthers - S Johnathan Cyprien, Florida International: Ss Haruki Nakamura and Charles Godfrey both struggled on the back end for Carolina a year ago, not very reassuring given the frequent air raids in the NFC South.

46. Buffalo Bills (from St. Louis Rams) - CB Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State: Like his former boss, Ryan, new Bills D-coordinator Mike Pettine greatly values corners. Buffalo has already moved Aaron Williams to safety, so importing Banks should allow the team to keep Leodis McKelvin in the nickel role.

47. Dallas Cowboys - RB Montee Ball, Wisconsin: The Cowboys couldn't run the ball in 2012, partially because DeMarco Murray's availability has been sketchy. Ball isn't as explosive as Murray, but he answered the bell every week for the Badgers, and he will find the end zone after scoring an NCAA record 83 TDs.

48. Pittsburgh Steelers - DE Margus Hunt, SMU: Ziggy Hood hasn't really developed for Pittsburgh. With more seasoning, Hunt might remind fans of retired but relentless Aaron Smith, though the Estonian "Eastern Block" (17 blocked kicks with the Mustangs) is much taller (6-8) than the 6-5 Smith.

49. New York Giants - LB Arthur Brown, Kansas State: After transferring from Miami (Fla.), Brown morphed into a force for K-State. A team captain for the Wildcats, Brown could start on the wings for the Giants before eventually taking over in the middle. (And we'll look forward to his battles with Eagles RB Bryce Brown, who happens to be his brother.)

50. Chicago Bears - LB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame: Maybe he'll make the 90-minute move from South Bend to the Windy City after all. With MLB Brian Urlacher gone - we think, anyway - and the linebacking corps now a patchwork, Te'o would address a major need with the bonus of making Chicago's Irish Nation happy.

51. Washington Redskins - CB/PR Tyrann Mathieu, LSU: The 'Skins have been hamstrung by a lack of picks and salary cap space in recent years. Mathieu is a gamble, but he'd immediately patch two of the club's shortcomings: returner and nickelback. With guys like LB London Fletcher and QB Robert Griffin III around to keep an eye on him, why not hedge your bets on the erstwhile Honey Badger?

52. New England Patriots (from Minnesota Vikings) - WR Robert Woods, USC: With WRs Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd jettisoned, the Pats need to get fresh targets for Tom Brady, who should appreciate Woods' polish and ability to run the precise routes the two-time MVP demands.

53. Bengals - S D.J. Swearinger, South Carolina: A good combination safety, the Bengals would probably be better off starting hard-hitting Swearinger than any of the other candidates on the roster looking to replace Chris Crocker.

54. Dolphins (from Indianapolis Colts) - CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Connecticut: Don't be surprised if Miami parts with this pick to pry LT Branden Albert out of Kansas City. But if they stay put, they need help at defensive back after acquiring this choice for CB Vontae Davis last summer.

55. Green Bay Packers - RB Giovani Bernard, North Carolina: Not surprisingly, Pack GM Ted Thompson waited to get a tailback despite the team's obvious need for one. Bernard could be an ideal pick-up, provided his reconstructed knee checks out. Best case, he pans out as a poor man's Darren Sproles given his ability to run, catch, pass block and return kicks, which would also give WR Randall Cobb some relief.

56. Seattle Seahawks - DE Tank Carradine, Florida State: Seattle surrendered its first-round pick to get WR Percy Harvin. But if Carradine is around, they'd end up getting a first-round talent at the bottom of Round 2. He may be a better pro than former Seminoles teammate Bjoern Werner, but Carradine had the misfortune of tearing an ACL at the end of the 2012 season. After signing DEs Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett to short-term deals, the Seahawks can give Carradine extra time to get ready if he needs it.

57. Houston Texans - OLB Jamie Collins, Southern Mississippi: The Texans stay in the Gulf Coast to pick up this lanky linebacker, who should develop into a nickel pass rusher alongside J.J. Watt, Brooks Reed and Whitney Mercilus. This offsets the loss of Connor Barwin.

59. Patriots - CB B.W. Webb, William & Mary: They've had trouble finding effective corners in the draft, but they'll take another swing with Webb, who might supplant Aqib Talib in a year.

60. Atlanta Falcons - OL Terron Armstead, Arkansas Pine-Bluff: He'll need some coaching, but Armstead's upside is really tantalizing. After parting with RT Tyson Clabo, the Falcons might be better off plucking Armstead now before adding another pass rusher or cover guy for the pass defense.

61. 49ers - RB Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina: Why wait? The Niners still have 11 picks to allot but may not get another shot at Lattimore when they're up again at No. 93. If Lattimore is ready by Week 1, as he claims he will be despite ripping up his knee last October, San Francisco reaps the benefits of yet another game-changing game weapon. If he's not, then you put him on PUP or IR - a good way for the team to stash and develop talent without cutting into its loaded 53-man roster - and roll him out as Frank Gore's replacement in 2014.

(NOTE: The Cleveland Browns used their second-round pick in last year's supplemental draft for Baylor WR Josh Gordon. The NFL stripped the New Orleans Saints' second-round pick as a penalty for the team's alleged bounty program.)